"Aren't they amazing?" Tommy raved, oblivious to the world around him. "And to think, they saw me play and liked it! They are just such incredible people. Rich, you know, and orphaned--I think I said that already. They took their father's wealth and turned it into millions--I don't remember which did that, but I'm not sure it really matters. And gorgeous! Aren't they the most gorgeous--"

Grey tuned Tommy out and took two quick steps to catch up with TJ, who walked just ahead. He grabbed the sleeve of TJ's black leather jacket, drawing the younger man alongside. "Just what the hell did they mean by 'we already gathered the interest'?" he hissed.

"I don't know," TJ answered, yanking his arm away from Greyhound. "You know everything I do."

"Yeah. What the hell was the interest supposed to be?" Grey's voice went up slightly, his fear mounting.

"I don't know," TJ said again, tossing a glare at the silver haired man. "If I knew I wouldn't've suggested we go home now."

They lapsed into silence, the two of them pondering their own thoughts while Blue continued raving behind them, unaware that no one was listening, and Shakti padded softly at the rear.

Tommy's litany stuttered to a halt as they rounded the corner, their apartment building in sight. Firetrucks were outside, two of them, and three police cars. A crowd had gathered, staring open mouthed and with sick fascination, trying to see more.

"Oh God," Grey said softly, then broke into a run, bolting toward the front doors. He was caught, stopped short of getting inside by two burly firemen. Nearby, he saw TJ and Blue get stopped as well, each by a policeman.

Grey lunged forward, realized it was useless, and stopped struggling. “What happened?” he said, his voice a croak. “What’s going on?”

"Grey." It was Ray, standing off to one side, a blanket around her shoulders and her face paler than he had ever seen it. Her freckles stood out in stark relief.

The firemen let go of him, and after a moment he walked hesitantly to where she stood. “Where’s Chiya?”

Ray shook her head wordlessly. “Our apartment was broken into. I only saw it for a few minutes before they came and got me,” she nodded at the police, “but everything’s been destroyed. There were aparently gunshots, and someone reported them-“

“Where’s Chiya?” he asked again, sharply.

Ray stared at the ground between her feet, long brown hair falling in her face. “She’s gone.”

“Harry.”

Grey looked toward the voice, and only then realized TJ and Blue stood nearby, listening. "You fucker." His eyes locked on TJ and he turned fully. "You God-damn little ass-fuck. You got my daughter taken!" He lunged for TJ, reaching for the youth's neck, his hands like claws.

TJ backpedaled, stumbling over his own feet. "Grey, I--"

"You fucker!"

Blue lunged for Grey's legs, as Ray jumped on his back. He fell to the ground hard, kicked at Tommy and stood back up, grabbing Ray's arm and twisting her off.

Three firemen broke from the cluster and hurried over, one hurrying forward in a run. "Hey--hey! What's going on here?" the first one to arrive, a big, muscled blond with short cropped hair, shouted, walking up to stand between TJ and Grey.

Grey leaned back on his heels, hands clenched at his sides. "Nothing, sir. Just a disagreement."

The man looked at Grey suspiciously, then nodded once. "All right. I know this is a stressful time," he said, and placed a nail-bitten hand on Grey's shoulder, "but keep your cool. You guys are going to need to help each other."

“Absolutly, sir,” Grey answered, jaw tight.

The hesitated, then nodded once. "The cops probably want to ask you some questions, but we're just about wrapped up here. Do you have someplace to stay tonight?"

“We’ll be fine.”

“Good. Take care of yourselves.”

Grey nodded, and the man left.

"We'll find Chiya, Grey," Ray said, her hand on his elbow.

"I'll talk to Harry. I'm sure there's just been a misunderstanding," TJ said, edging closer as he watched Grey for any sudden moves.

"You'd better, you little shitface," Grey snarled. TJ cringed, nodded, and started shuffling away.

"I'll get right on that," he said, then turned and scurried off, dodging between cars and people until he'd hit the street, where he took off at a run.

***

“Now what?”

He looked at Ray, seated on the edge of the curb, her shirt practically hanging on her slight frame. Her collarbones stuck out, and her shoulders were bony. She was only sixteen.

"I don't know." Grey turned back to the street, darkened by night. The streetlamp casting the pool of yellow light around them was one of only a few working. Still, the glow from the city washed the stars out of the sky, though the sliver of moon that was out managed to shine.

"Explain to me again why we didn't tell them it was that guy TJ knows?" Blue asked, sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk, hair falling in his face.

"Because then 'that guy TJ knows' will kill us," Ray said on a sigh, propping herself back on her hands. She shook her head. They were two years older than she was, and yet Grey had made it pretty clear that Blue and Shakti were to be kept in the dark regarding names of less than respectable people. She guessed it was to keep them out of as much trouble as possible, but it seemed silly. "You don't finger someone who's willing to destroy your apartment and steal a six-year-old." Ray cringed as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Grey's jaw tensed.

The police interview had been brief. Did they know anyone who would want to hurt them? Did they have any enemies? Had they left the door unlocked? Did they have any valuables worth stealing? Anyone who might want to take little Alison? Her mother? Her grandparents? Other family?

Grey had answered it all, fairly monotonously. When they had asked if there was anything special about Alison that they should know, Ray had thought he was going to break. Instead, he'd taken a deep breath and explained that she was mute, and could hear but couldn't speak herself. Chiya signed.

He'd handed over the only photo he had of her--one taken at a traveling carnival last year, when they'd scraped together enough money to take the day off and treat themselves.

"We'll find her, you know. TJ's guy isn't heartless. I mean, most of the time." Ray heard her own words and cringed. Sarcastically, she wondered if she could make things any worse.

"I'm going for a walk." Grey stood, stepping out of the circle of light and onto the dark street.

The trio sat there, quiet for some time. Then, "So. We're just going to sit here all night?" Blue asked, sitting forward and tossing a stick into the gutter.

Ray sighed. "Do you have any better suggestions? We can't go back to the apartment. Not like it is now, and not until we know if TJ's guy is done. We don't have any money, and unless you want to stay with Lance the Pimp, who will undoubted put a pretty thing like you to work, we don't have many places to go."

Tommy lapsed into silence, his face pale.

Ray stared into the dark, sitting up to wrap her arms around her knees. It was getting cold rapidly, and she had given Shakti--sitting just outside the light--the blanket the firemen had given her.

"Doesn't anyone have a friend's place we could stay at?" Tommy asked, almost mournfully.

Ray gave him a look full of scorn, even trying not to. He'd only left home a few weeks ago, she had to remind herself. He wasn't like the rest of them. "No, Blue," she said, looking forward again. "We don't. Grey gathered all our friends into one big house. And TJ brought you and Shak in." It was a nasty shot, she knew, but somehow the words were out of her mouth before she was able to censor them.

Tommy sighed and stared at his shoelaces as if they held the secrets to the world. "Waitaminute," he said, all one word, his head snapping up. "I know someone who might help us." He stood, digging into his back pocket and pulling out a crumpled napkin. "The Fitzgerald girls!"

Ray looked at him doubtfully. “Those twins?”

"Triplets, actually," he said, searching through his pockets, then rifling through the fireman's bag that was full of clothes and various essentials they'd saved. "I mean, I don't know them well, but they seem nice, and--" he stood, looking frustrated. "Do you have a quarter?"

Ray patted her pockets automatically, though she was already shaking her head ‘no.’

Tommy bit his lower lip, glancing at Shakti before glancing away again. “All right. I can call collect.” He practically grimaced, looking vaguely ill.

“Something the problem?” Ray asked.

He looked up, blue eyes dark in the night. “I don’t know what to say to her.”

Ray groaned and leaned back on the heels of her hands. "I can't believe it. We're talking about sleeping on the street versus not, and you don't want to call because you have a crush and you're shy."

“I don’t have a crush!” he protested instantly.

Shakti chuckled, surprising them both.

"Okay, maybe a little one," Blue conceded. "But did you see her? She's gorgeous! And her and her sisters have had such an incredible life! They were orphaned, you know, and kidnapped that same night. No one heard a thing from them or their kidnappers for another three years, when they suddenly reappeared, no explanation, no anything. They applied for and got emancipated minor-ship, or whatever you call it, and then-"

"Okay, okay, I get it, they're amazing," Ray said in exasperation. "Now call them!"

Blue squirmed and nodded. "Right. Okay." He took a deep breath and headed for the payphone down the street. Ray watched as he paused in front of it, then finally picked up the reciever and dialed nervously, throwing a hesitant smile over his shoulder.

It was too far away to hear what he said, but the other line was apparently picked up quickly. He spoke, bouncing on the toes of his feet, running his fingers through his shaggy hair, playing with the phone cord. Ray heard him laugh, short and sharp, then only the rolling sound of words she couldn't quite discern.

Eventually, he hung up the phone and came trotting back, grinning. "She said to go on over, and gave me directions, and she's even sending a cab! They'll put us up, at least for the night!"

"That's great, Blue," Ray said less than enthusiastically, remembering the short conversation from before. "Now how are we going to let TJ and Grey know?"

His smile faded and he squirmed, scratching the back of his head. "Oh."

Ray rolled her eyes. "Shit."

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard to find them, right?" he asked hopefully. "They must have stayed close."

"Yeah," Ray said on a sigh, standing up and brushing off the seat of her pants. "That would make sense."

***

It had been twenty minutes, and they'd found TJ, but no Grey. Deciding they couldn't keep the cab waiting forever, they'd left, writing a quick note on Tommy's napkin and weighing it down with a shoe Ray pulled from a garbage can.

She watched out the window silently, letting Tommy chatter happily to the cabdriver in the front seat. The neighborhood slowly changed from bad to decent to downright good, and from there started getting ritzy. Ray was distinctly uncomfortable. She rubbed her upper arms self-consciously, glancing down at her threadbare pants and too-big shirt.

She would almost have rather slept on the street that night.

Then they were pulling into a gravel driveway, winding up through a tree-lined lawn and stopping, finally, in front of the Fitzgerald mansion. Most people had heard of it; at one time it had been hotly contested property. Then the triplets had reappeared, and bought it back from the government.

Ray always found herself wondering where they'd gotten that kind of money.

The lights were still on in the mansion, though one wing was dark, and as Tommy got out of the cab the front door--one of the double doors--opened and a young woman came gliding out, bathrobe flowing around her. The porch lights flipped on, each one delayed slightly so that they cascaded down the porch to where they finally ended just before each of the wings started.

Ray swallowed hard, glanced at TJ, who gave her a sick smile, and scooted after Shakti out of the car.

***

He was trembling. Every muscle in his body was screaming for action, to attack, to lunge--something other than this painful stillness that his mind said was necessary.

"Where is she, Harry?" His voice was remarkably calm, some small part of his brain noted with pride. Remarkably calm.

Harry glanced up, saw Grey, dismissed him in the same thought and went back to scanning the paper. "Gone."

"She had nothing to do with it, Harry. Nothing," Grey snarled, his calm vaporizing as if it had never been. He leaned on his fists on the desk, looming over Harry's stout form. The men at each corner of the room tensed, and one nervous man pulled his jacket back to reveal a pistol.

Harry put his paper down, finally turning his attention to Grey. "She had to do with it when your buddy tried to screw me over," he said, irritation mounting.

"What TJ did or didn't do was not involved with my daughter," Grey snapped, shoving away from the desk. "Jesus Christ, Harry! Taking her won't hurt TJ!"

"Sure it will," Harry said reasonably, smiling and leaning back in his chair. He crossed his legs, tilting his head. "It hurt you. You're his friend. Therefore, it hurts him."

"Give her back!" Grey shouted, bolting forward and nearly lunging across the desk. Harry jumped backward, fear suddenly on his face, only to have that replaced quickly by anger.

"You want her back so fucking badly?" he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest and purposefully relaxing. "Fine." His eyes were steely as he glared coldly at Grey. "You can have her."

***

There was a light rap on the door before it swung open, and a pale face surrounded by black hair peered around the corner. "Are you decent?"

Ray stood up from the edge of the bed where she had been sitting, thinking about nothing as her mind went in circles. "Yeah. What'd you want?" She looked suspiciously at the young woman who entered; one of the triplets, but it was impossible to tell which.

The triplet entered and closed the door behind her with a soft click, leaning against it as if blocking any exit. "Ray, right?"

She nodded, folding one arm over her chest and holding onto her other, lifting her chin defiantly.

"Ray. You and I both know that I'm being lied to," the girl said. She moved softly across the floor, silent as a cat, and leaned one hip on the desk against the wall, bracing both hands behind her.

"You're not being lied to," Ray said instantly, on the defensive.

"Ray," she interrupted, "I know--"

"Who are you?" Ray snapped. "I mean, which one?" She sat back down on the bed, glaring at the triplet and leaning her elbows on her braced knees.

The triplet stopped and smiled, ducking her eyes for the barest of moments in what Ray supposed was, for her, a sheepish look. "January. Sorry." Then she straightened again, looking at Ray directly. "And we both know I'm being lied to. Tommy's sister may be unbalanced, but she doesn't need medication. That's not what the money went for. People who steal money from others--"

"I didn't--" Ray started, and silenced as January snapped her an irritated look.

"People who steal money aren't using it for medical reasons. What was it for? You tell me, and I won't hold it against you guys now. If I find out later, so help me I will prosecute. And I have the money to win."

Ray cringed and glanced around the thickly carpeted guestroom with its king-sized bed. Heavy drapes surrounded the French doors, which in turn led out onto a small balcony that overlooked a garden below. She stood, walking to the glass panes and looking out. "It's none of your fucking business, bitch," she muttered under her breath, quietly enough that the other woman wouldn't be able to hear.

"It is," January said, surprising Ray. Ray glanced her over her shoulder. "I have very good hearing." January smiled coldly. "I want information. Now."

Ray twisted, folding both arms over her chest. "You know what? Hear this. Fuck you. This is not your business, this is not your concern--"

"It becomes my concern when you walk into my house," January said, loudly, over Ray's tirade. "I want to know if I'm in danger. I want to know if I'm harboring criminals."

Ray shook her head, digging her fingers into her hair. "No. No. This--this has nothing to do with you. This has to do with me and my friends and you can fuck off." She looked up, brown eyes blazing. "Coming here was a mistake. I knew it was, and I allowed it. This is my family, and I'm not going to let a bitch with a fucking stripe in her hair hurt any of us. You can fuck off. We'll be leaving."

January was quiet for a moment, though her blue gaze never wavered. Amazingly, she never tensed or fidgeted. Ray was impressed despite herself.

"You know, you're right," January said at last, dropping the glare and looking at the floor. Somehow, Ray got the impression she was simply gathering her arsenal before firing. Then January looked up and smiled, and Ray knew she was right. "You leave this house. You leave, and you deal with whoever is trying to hurt you."

Ray shifted uncertainly.

"But, as a good samaritan, I'm going to have to call the cops. See, you already brought trouble into my house. And I'm sure they'd love to know about the cocaine that that TJ character is carrying. So you go ahead, Ray. You and your 'family' march right out of my place, and you try and make your way back to the city before the police get here. Or, you tell me what's going on, and maybe I'll help. To keep myself and my family safe, of course."

Ray felt bile rise in her throat. Her heart was thundering furiously, and she turned to look out at the night sky. She needed a minute to gather her wits.

Cocaine?

She breathed through her nose, taking deep slow breaths and trying not to let January know how surprised she was. If it was true, then she was going to kill TJ, that was certain. If it wasn't true, then January had no leg to stand on.

Ray wasn't sure she could take that chance. She looked down and scratched her arm, pausing to pick at a scab before leaving it alone.

"A friend got into some trouble," she said finally, turning around and looking fiercely at January. "He owed someone money. If he didn't pay last night then the guy was . . . " she stopped and frowned slightly at the floor, waving her hands around in lieu of words, "who knows? Going to bash his kneecaps in."

January rubbed her forehead with her thumb and a delicate ring finger. "So the fire in your apartment--"

"On purpose." For a moment Ray considered mentioning Chiya, but decided the triplet had enough information.

"So where's the other guy in your group? Grey?"

Ray folded her arms and leaned against the door. "Out."

January stopped and sent a sharp look at Ray. "That's it?"

Ray nodded once.

January hesitated, then broke eye contact. "I won't press charges."

Ray sneered. "Wow, thanks."

January smiled slightly, raising one eyebrow. "You're welcome." She stood, unfolding her legs and gliding toward the door. "I'll let you know if Grey calls."

"Sure," Ray said, turning and looking back out over the balcony. The sky was lightening; the sun would rise soon. Ray glared at the sky and heard the door click shut behind her.

Wherever Grey was, she wished he'd hurry back.

***

The world swam into color and he heard voices, distorted, loud and then suddenly quiet, only to grow in intensity again. His head started to pound, and his eyes felt swollen and sticky. He moved his tongue in his cottony mouth, trying to generate some sort of saliva.

The floor was moving.

Color rose above him, and a voice followed, rising and falling like a tide. "He's awake."

"Then put him back under," another voice said, sounding as though it came from down a long tube.

The colors moved, shifting, making him sick. Then he felt cloth over his nose and mouth, and the colors dimmed. A moment later they blurred together and vanished entirely, and after that the voices were gone.

The headache was the last to disappear.

*****************